The Familiar Stranger
by LisaMarieX3
Summary: When Winry over hears a top secret conversation, she is struck on the head and thrown beyond the gate. When she wakes up, she has no memory of who she is or where she came from. Can she regain her memory in time to stop the war between worlds? Ed x Winry


**The Familiar Stranger**

**Chapter One**

_AmvAlchemist_

Winry stretched, feeling her muscles loosen, hating the fact that her clothes were wet and sticky due to her sweat. She had been working for hours and she was starting to get rather exhausted, but she had refused to go home because she was determined to finish a certain project. She relaxed against the spine of her seat and sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

_Finally complete, _she thought smugly, quite pleased with herself. It was a beautiful, shimmering silver automail arm, her newest design in 3 years. _Three years..._ she thought, her eyes distant, focused on a place far from there, away from that moment. Three years since Edward and Alphonse crossed over to the other side of the gate, leaving her behind forever...

She blinked, jerked in her seat so that she was sitting up right, and then frowned. She wouldn't allow herself to think such depressing thoughts, it didn't get her anywhere but a corner shrouded in darkness. She averted her gaze to the window, thinking if she didn't get out of this hot and stuffy room now, she'd suffocate. So, with a tired sigh, she got up and tread over to the desk with a somewhat slumped posture and then grabbed her keys.

She was the only one there, so it was obvious that she had to lock up. Flexing her toes and wrists, she reached out for the door and opened it, only to be greeted by a large gust of forceful wind. She shielded her eyes with one arm as she struggled to walk out and close the door behind her, and after seconds, which actually seemed like minutes, she had moved onto locking it.

"What happened to the weather..." She mumbled as she wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. That morning, the weather had been somewhat pleasing. There was no rain, greying skies, or howling winds; just the big, bright sun which had no clouds to hide behind. That was the reason why she didn't bring a coat with her to work, she thought she didn't need it, but now, as the rain beat down heavier, showing the land no mercy, she began to regret her actions. She cursed to herself as she quickened her pace, hoping that she hadn't missed her train. But luck wasn't on her side as she ran into the station, just in time to see her train depart, the tracks violently rattling behind it. She stopped in her tracks, her face dropping.

"Shit!" She growled, her glare locked on the train.

_Why me..._ she thought sadly, turning around and making her way to a bench that stood alone in the corner of the station. _Now I wait..._ She sat down and put her head in her hands, thinking about how stupid she had been for missing the train, and not bringing a coat, which she needed then and there. She was soaked. Her clothes were dripping, her skin carried goosebumps, and her mascara had ran ever so slightly. Mascara, I hear you ask? Yes. She is a woman, therefore she wore mascara.

Her hair, which clung to her face and neck had fell out of the bobble long ago, and was unnoticed by her as she was too busy shivering and rubbing her cold hands against her skin, trying to get warm. She wore a white, short sleeved shirt, which was practically see through now, and brown pants, which were cropped just below the knee. Her shoes, well, they were a different story. They were black flip flops, which actually didn't look like flip flops any more. They were torn and ripped and wet, and were starting to give her blisters.

_Ugh, damn things,_ she thought bitterly, reaching down and fingering the material of her shoes. _Pain... _She pulled them off and placed them under the bench, and then flexed her sore, aching toes to try to rid them of their numbness. She was thankful that the train station had a shelter because she would probably end up crying if she had to sit out in the rain.

She leaned back against the bench and closed her eyes, expecting a huge ocean of thoughts to wash over her at any moment. And, as if on que, the one thing she hated to think about struck her, and she soon found herself drowning in an ocean full of painful memories. She was more irritated that surprised. _Edward and Alphonse,_ repeated in her mind, and she couldn't help but snarl.

_Some friends they are..._ she opened her eyes and stared at the opposite wall, _if they really cared, they would have took me with them!_

She then stopped herself, appalled at what she had just thought. Pushing angry Winry aside, she then said audibly, "but they did what they had to do to save people... that's what they were born to do. Who am I to question their actions, when I haven't seen them in... three years?" It pained her say it out loud, and she was so sure she heard her heart crack beneath her breastbone, but she chose to ignore it. After all, it didn't really matter now, did it? She'd never see them again, so there was no need to wallow in self pity.

"They probably don't even remember who I am..." Her voice shook as she wiped away the new wetness that formed in the corner of her eyes. She sniffed, knowing she was going to cry tears of sorrow, and she knew that there was no way in stopping them. So, she sobbed, and ever so slowly, she traced her fingers over the beautiful silver bracelet that hung from her wrist. It was still just as gorgeous as when Edward had given it to her all them years ago, and his words were as clear as day.

_"Promise me something, Winry." Amber gold eyes locked with sapphire blue. He hooked the bracelet onto her wrist and then traced the metal with his flesh hand, "promise me that in times of sorrow and misery, you'll be strong for me, because one day, I may not be here." He spoke seriously, his eyes full of sadness._

_"Yes..." Winry breathed, her voice wavering. "But I don't know how... Edward. How am I meant to be strong knowing that you won't be by my side..." Her eyes watered. Deep down, she knew he'd never stay, since his only goal was to get his brothers body back, and he'd stop at nothing to get it. Edward just stared at her, a frown plastered on his face, and she could tell that there was a war going on inside his head as he tried to decide his next words wisely. _

_Winry began to feel uncomfortable under his gaze, and the nagging feeling in her gut had her glancing down, her fringe covering her eyes as her tears dropped onto her skirt. Edward reached over and cupped her chin in between his index finger and thumb, and he said, "you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."_

She laughed sadly at that crystal clear memory. "What am I crying for?" She whispered as her eyes closed ever so slowly, and she allowed one more tear to make it's escape before she drifted off into a deep, much needed sleep.

* * *

"Excuse me, ma'am..."

Winry frowned and made a inaudible noise. She was dreaming about frogs... and then the frog began speaking to her.

"Um, ma'am?"

There it was again. But this time there was a hand on her shoulder. She gazed over at the frog, and it became apparent that the frog was not the one touching her, or doing the speaking.

"Ma'am, please, wake up..." She gazed up at the sky, because that was were the mysterious voice was coming from. "Hello?" The voice was louder now, and was becoming more real each time it spoke.

"Yes... I'm here..." Winry replied aloud, and in her dream. The hand that rested on her shoulder began to push back and forth gently, and she rocked with the rhythm. Her world began to fade and it gradually got darker, and then everything vanished in a puff of smoke. Her eyes peeled open and she found that something, or someone, was obstructing her vision. As the blurriness passed, she realized that it was, in fact, a man and that the voice belonged to him.

"Oh, good. You're alive. I was beginning to think you were dead." He laughed, offering his hand to her. "It's late, you know," he looked at her with concern, "a woman like you shouldn't be alone at a time like this. It's a very dangerous world." Winry just stared at him, startled.

What time _was_ it? The last thing she remembered was resting her eyes, and now she found out that sleep had actually claimed her. She looked down at his hand, and then back at him, and not wanting to be rude, she took it and was pulled to her feet by his unexpected strength. Judging by his uniform, it was obvious that he worked in the train station. Most probably as a security guard or something.

"I'm sorry Sir, but do you know the time?" Her eyes were full of worry, and the man hated to see a damsel in distress. He smiled warmly as he pulled up the sleeve of his jacket to get a view of his watch.

"2:34am..." He replied, and her face paled instantly. She had been asleep for over 4 hours! The trains stopped at 12am, and they started again at 6am. "Did you miss the train, ma'am?" He interrupted her hurricane of thoughts, and she just stared at him, her face softening.

"No... everything is fine. It was raining, so I decided to come here and rest, and before I knew it, I was asleep..." She lied, hoping he would buy her excuse and let her leave. She really didn't feel like talking to him, even though he seemed like a nice guy. She just wanted to go home...

"Oh," he smiled, "do you live around here, then?"

"Yeah... something like that." She laughed awkwardly, "I better get going... thanks for waking me up!"

"Don't mention it, love. I'm happy to be of service. Now you be careful walking home, ya hear?"

"Sure thing!" She walked away and waved, and then as she turned the corner, she let out an annoyed sigh of relief. She done so many negative things today, she could easily make a list with the title: **Things not to do when in the rain. **

1. Forget your jacket

2. Miss the train

3. Talk to yourself on a bench

4. Fall asleep on that very same bench

5. Leave your shoes under that bench

6. Lie to an officer

She groaned inwardly at herself. _Tonight is gunna be a lo-o-o-o-o-ong night..._

* * *

The wind was cold and harsh, snapping at her face, and she wanted to snap back, but she was too tired to do anything. Her throat was dry and ached each time she tried to clear it. Her nose was becoming blocked, too. She was coming down with something, and she knew, that if she told anybody, they wouldn't really care. After all, she had no real friends, Pinako died 2 years ago, and Edward and Alphonse were in a completely different world. _Wonderful._

At that moment, she realized that there was nobody there for her when she needed them the most. Everybody had left, and she had stayed. What if she died? Would she be acknowledged? Would her death be put in the papers, or on the news? Or would people just shrug it off and carry on with their lives as if she never really lived in the first place. Was that her purpose in life? Living as if she was invisible? The very thought had her heart twisting and slamming against her rib cage.

Suddenly, a flash of blue light hauled her out of her depression, and it had her head turned against a large, grey building. Did she really see that, or was it just her imagination? Her mind was known for pulling tricks, so she was finding it hard to believe. After staring for a few moments, she sighed, and then carried on walking. "It's just my mind playing-" another flash of blue light, and that was proof enough to tell her that she wasn't going insane.

She stopped and frowned, watching the glowing blue light flash through the window of the tall, dark building, illuminating the window frames. And at that moment, she was torn between feelings. Should she be a scaredy cat and walk, or should she show people that she is a somebody and go in. She then made up her mind without a second thought. She was ready to be somebody, somebody who was not afraid to show who she really is; that she can be useful to this damned world.

She proceeded with her plan and walked to the back door, her head held high, and her hands clenched tightly at her sides. She reached out to open the door, only to find a pad lock latched onto the handle. Smirking, she unlocked it with ease. That was the pleasures of being a mechanic. She could unlock anything, anywhere, even without her wrench.

After she was inside, she closed the door behind her, satisfied that it didn't creak in response. She then turned her attention to the room she was in. It was dark, but she could still see the outlines of bins and shelves. This must have been the room were all the rubbish goes, and her thoughts were confirmed when she saw the dark silhouette of a rat sprinting across the floor. _Gross_.

As she made it to the end of the room, where she found another door, she cracked it open a little, and peaked through. The hallway was pitch black, and everything was silent, and she frowned. Where was the light coming from? She opened the door wide enough for her to slink through, and then she looked from left to right several times.

It was quiet. _Too quiet_. All of a sudden, a loud, crackling noise zapped through her ears, and she jumped to the left. Through a nearby door, blue light shone out into the hallway, illuminating her body, making sharp contrast in the vast darkness. Then she heard muffled voices, and she found that she was drawn to them like a drug addict was to heroine. She knew something was wrong, and she had a feeling she was in danger, but as her mind was screaming, _run, idiot, run,_ her body was screaming, _yes! GO! GO! GO!_

She peered in through the door, and in the corner of the large hall, behind huge, metal containers, were about six people, all wearing lab coats. _Scientists?_ She questioned as another blue light flashed in her eyes painfully, making her squint. When the light faded, she heard a loud, bellowing laugh. His laugh was pure evil, and it made the Joker look sane. Deciding she needed to get a better view, she quietly tip toed through the door and hid behind one of the huge metal containers. She was now close enough to hear their conversation.

"Do you think this will work, Mr. Reddie?" One of the women asked another scientist. He stopped his laughing and he fixed his gaze upon the woman, who shrunk under his powerful stare.

"Of course it will, woman. We've spent years on this; years of blood, sweat and tears, and now, when we have _finally_completed this damned project, you question it?" He spat, his voice vulgar and vicious. "Never question my blueprints again, or I will punish you greatly." He warned, his eyes practically on fire. Winry could see his eyes through the darkness, and they scared the shit out of her. She wasn't easily scared, but come on, the guy was breathing like a paedophile!

The woman kept a straight face, but her eyes told a completely different story. She was frightened of this man, Winry guessed, because in her soft, hazel eyes, it showed that she wanted to be anywhere else but there. "Yes, of course, Mr. Reddie, I completely understand. I.. I'll never question your work again." She said almost robotic like.

He grinned in response, showing his perfect teeth. "Good, I'm glad we agree on something, Miss. Beresford." He laughed and then turned towards his invention and resumed his disturbing laughing. His other workers just stared with horrified looks on their faces. They never knew their boss could be such a freak of nature, and not notice that fact himself.

"Well, my little piglets, shall we go eat? We can't test this baby out on empty stomach's, now, can we?" He said in his creepy, British accent. They all said yes in unison, and shuffled out of the room, leaving a rather disgusted Winry.

_That guy belongs in a mental home... _She waited for a few minutes, just to make sure that everybody had actually left the room, and then she slowly rose to her feet and walked over to their project. There were tools everywhere; all over the floor, on the desks and chairs. Jeesh, didn't these people know how to be tidy while working? Putting that thought aside for now, Winry's eyes scanned over the work on the desk, where she saw some blue prints. She scanned the pages and came across the word alchemy a numerous amount of times.

"So they're using alchemy. I thought that blue light looked familiar..." _Edward..._

Then she looked at the huge space beyond the desk, and the floor looked as if it had been burned. She frowned and stopped walking. They could just be normal scientists, but why would normal scientists work at 3am in the morning in an old abandoned building? And, what made things even more suspicious, was that _insane_ British guy that went by the name _Reddie_. His laugh was proof enough that he was a bad guy. Gross. She shuddered at the thought of him.

Then something clicked in her brain. They were planning something dangerous, something that could harm humans, and she decided that she was going to find out. Turning around, she stepped back towards the desk with more determination than before, and pushed all the tools to the side as she looked for more blue prints. Her heart thumped and her eyes were wide and dry as she scanned the pages once more.

As she neared the end of the page, her breathing stopped in her lungs, and then her hands loosened, and they slipped out of her grasp. She stared at her empty hand, which was still in the same position as if she was holding them, and gasped as the pages slowly landed at her feet. She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was too dry. How long had she been there?

Not wanting to stand within the tainted sheets of paper, she backed away, bumping her behind on the desk, causing it to squeak as it was pushed back a few inches. She jumped and released a small scream, and then her head shot around in all directions. She needed to get out of there, and fast.

She had made too much noise, and she knew that they'd come very soon. Then, her worst fear came to life as she heard foot steps followed by voices. She slowly ran towards a metal container, jumping behind it as soon as the door opened. Sean Reddie, the insane British man, stood there, his eyes moving in all directions as if he sensed her presence.

"Mr. Reddie, what is wrong?"

"I smell a rat." He stated darkly as he entered the room completely. He stopped at the desk, his glare set on the pile of papers at his feet. "And that rat knows too much."

Clutching onto the bracelet that clung to her wrist, she quietly repeated the words, "be strong..." between her shaky breaths. Her back was pressed up against the cold metal, and her eyes were forced shut as she pleaded, in her head, for her life.

"You're right." The woman's voice hissed. "Come out now, and you won't be harmed. Stay there, and you die." She threatened sternly. _Crap_. Winry was in trouble. They were actually talking to _her._ "It seems the _rat," _she spat in disgust, "is frightened."

Winry panicked. What could she do? She could run for the door and get caught, or she could pathetically plead for her life. _What to do... what to do... what to do..._Maybe, by some miracle, they won't kill her. Maybe, by some miracle, they would let her go without a scratch...

She sighed, releasing the bracelet from her hold. Perhaps she was asking for too much. After all, humans aren't that lucky, are they? And her list was the perfect example of bad luck, so why would this moment be any different. All of a sudden, hands shot out from nowhere, clasping around her wrists in an iron grip as she was hauled to her feet.

"Found ya." He teased, his face inches from hers. His bright, blue eyes seemed to pierce through her, and she shivered under the clarity of his gaze; so cold, so icy... Up close, she knew he was a smart man, one with experience, yet he looked so young, and so fragile. He had blonde hair, slightly darker than hers, that framed his face and covered his ears. His bangs stopped just above his brow, and it was slightly wavy like a blonde version of superman. His face looked so soft and gentle, and the facial expression he wore totally contradicted that fact. Why did men feel the need to look angry all the time? Jeesh!

He tightened his grip on her wrist, paying no heed to her screams as he dragged her like a rag doll, ignoring the fact that she was a living, breathing, human girl. "Stephanie, look what I found." He grinned, pulling Winry into his chest and holding her steady. Winry struggled in his grip as she tried to break his hold on her, but he was too strong, and any attempt she made was feeble. "There's no use, rat, I'm too strong for you." He chuckled, his breath brushing against her ear, making her shudder. He was even more creepy up close.

"You made a huge mistake, _girl._" A new voice interrupted her squirming. Winry paused and locked eyes with the one he called Stephanie. She had short, auburn coloured hair which was tied back into a neat bun, and her bangs were clipped to the right side of her head. She was young, too, just like him, but she was taller. She wore a simple purple shirt, with smart black pants and shoes. And over that, a long, white lab coat, which completely ruined her look. She was beautiful, and Winry found it hard to believe that she was actually on this maniac's side.

"How much do you know?" She asked strictly as she crossed her arms over her chest. Winry knew she couldn't get out of this one. It was obvious that she knew about their plan. The evidence stained the white, sparkling paper that lay at their feet. Winry just stared as her heart leaped in her chest. How many leaps, now, in this short time? She had lost count. The look on Stephanie's face had become more fierce as she screamed, "I said how much do you know! Answer me, you bitch!" This made Winry jump with fright, and a lump formed in her throat; threatening to choke her if she didn't speak soon...

She spoke in babbled sentences, cutting into the next to sharply as that woman, that tall, intimidating woman, stared her down with eyes that never flickered, not even a little, with emotion. Winry closed her eyes, knowing she was about to cry, but froze as she heard a familiar voice fade through her head.

_"You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."_

"Edward..." She spoke inaudibly, her voice cracking. His words, and his words alone, would give her the strength she needed to get through this, and at that very moment, she didn't care that Stephanie was there, staring at her with those dark, devil like eyes; she didn't care that she was in grip so strong she was rendered helpless. Hell, she didn't care that she was in a life or death situation. Edward wanted her to be strong, and that was how she was going to be.

"I know that you are vile, repulsive _monsters_ who think killing people is a way to gain power!" She screamed, her eyes wide and her breathing heavy. Her fit of rage was interrupted by soft chuckling down her ear.

"But, my dear, killing people _is _a way to gain power." She felt his creepy grin beside her ear as he whispered, "have you ever heard of _equivalent exchange?"_

He felt her tense against his chest, and this had him frowning in confusion. _Does she really know of equivalent exchange? If she knows about that, then she must know more..._

Deciding to take on step further, he added, "and have you ever heard of _the gate?" _

Winry froze as those words brought back painful memories of the night when Edward and Alphonse tried to resurrect their mother using alchemy... they had opened the gate... Edward lost his leg, then, with equivalent exchange, he traded his arm to attach his brothers soul to a cold, empty suit of armour. How she hated those words...

"Yes, _Reddie."_ She said through clenched teeth, her eyes still locked with Stephanie's. "The gate that stands between our world... and their world." Stephanie smirked and closed her eyes. _So this bitch knows of the gate... this could be interesting._

"I'm surprised that you know that much. And please, _call me Sean." _He chuckled as he grabbed a wrench from the desk. He brushed the cold edge of the metal against her cheek, and she shuddered at it's coldness. "The world beyond the gate also follow the law of equivalent exchange, even if they don't have the use of alchemy." Winry's eyes widened. That was something she didn't know about other world.

"What use is that information to you?" She asked, curious.

"The lives of those who die and _will _die in that world will become the energy for the alchemy used in ours. So, the more people I murder, the more power I gain. Simple, is it not?"

Winry gasped, "So, your planning on killing _everyone_... FOR MORE ALCHEMY? Haven't you got enough already? You sick, greedy, power hungry beast!" She lifted up her leg and kicked him in the one place a man would _**not**_ like to be kicked. He released her, and she made a run for it.

"You bitch!" He bellowed in pure agony as he held onto his groin. And before Winry got to the door, she felt a hard, metal object smash against her head with a sickening crack, and she collapsed on the ground, unconscious and unmoving. Sean threw the wrench to the left, and then reached down and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. "You will _pay_ for endangering my balls, bitch." He snarled as he turned and dragged her limp body back towards the desk. _Sean Reddie was pissed._

"Mr. Reddie," Stephanie spoke, not wanting to raise her voice at her superior, "what are you going to do?"

"I've made up my mind about who will go through the gate first." He roared, kicking all of his tools off the transmutation circle that was painted onto the cement. "I was a bit skeptical about testing it out on one of my own scientists, in case something wentwrong and they died... but," He dropped Winry's fragile body onto the ground, and then glared over his shoulder, his eyes dark and dangerous, "this bitch will do perfectly."

Stephanie gasped. "B-But Sir-"

"Shut up!" He commanded, and she instantly shut her mouth. "She knows too much, therefore she goes through!" He screamed as he slammed his palms against the cement, and within seconds, which for him, seemed like minutes, the circle began to glow with a blinding, blue light. "Yes... YES!" He screamed in pleasure, then he began to laugh his crazy, disturbing laugh. The room, which was engulfed in blue, static energy, soon faded back to it's usual grey as the gate between worlds stood, tall and proud, in front of them all. Stephanie shivered. It was the first time she'd seen the gate, and it was seriously starting to scare her. He slowly rose to his feet, his body shaking with anticipation, his blood pumping through his veins as he threw his arms into the air, "the gate! It's _finally _here!" The doors slowly opened with a deafening creak, and a huge, purple eye peeled itself open as it stared at the insane Scientist.

"Sir... _wait_, don't throw her in, she-"

"Shut up, Stephanie!" He screeched, anger flickering inside him like a fire would flicker on wood. If only he would give her a chance... she would make the situation better for them all.

He snatched Winry from the floor and held her up to the gate, and he laughed, "please, take this girl to the other side. Take her!" He urged, and suddenly, long, black arms stretched out from the mysterious abyss, and they wrapped around Winry's limbs, pulling her from Sean's grasp. He took a few steps back as it's arms snaked their way around Winry's frail body, and he watched, with a sickening smirk on his face, as she disappeared into the gate, the doors slamming harshly behind her. Then the gate vanished, leaving nothing but burns and scrapes on the floor.

"Sean Reddie!" Stephanie's scream rang through his ears, and it had him spinning around.

"WHAT? What the hell do you want, Stephanie?! _What?!"_ He yelled, his eyes blood shot and his breathing heavy in his chest.

Stephanie composed herself, and then she gave him a stare that would make any man shit his pants. "By throwing that girl into the gate, you have put your plan in jeopardy. She may still be alive, and seeing as she knows everything, she will most probably tell someone about your plan when she arrives. That, Mr. Reddie, is what I've been trying to tell you before you idiotically threw her into the gate. Nice going, moron."

There was silence, followed by more silence.

Sean's face dropped.

"Shit."


End file.
